TKR Tried rest and elevation but knee gets stiffer with inactivity

[Josephine]

She scared me to death,as she said my knee bends but will not straighten and if I don't get it to extend soon,I will be past the point of no return and end up with a stiff,peg leg.

As Jamie said, this is a myth. Did you read the articles Punpkln left you earlier on? There is an article there about the 'window of opportunity'.

my surgeon did an xray and said my knee was fine and it was scar tissue

They always say that! Anything and everything is attributed to the infamous 'scar tissue' which is actually pretty uncommon. It's much more likely to be due to swelling!

Speaking of which I'm going to ask you some questions and it would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually - numbered as I have done - in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are ....

1. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine. And don't compare this with the bone-on-bone pain you had before surgery!

) Also don't forget to include other forms of pain such as soreness, burning, stabbing, throbbing, aching, swelling and stiffness

2. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?

3. how often are you icing your knee and for how long?

4. are you elevating your leg, how often and for how long?

5. What is your ROM - that's flexion (bend) and extension (straightness)

6. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

7. what kind of PT exercises and exercises at home are you doing? How much and how often?

Can you detail it like this
At physio or PT
First description - 5 reps x 2 sets
Second description - 10 reps x 2 sets

At home
First description - 5 reps x 2 sets 3 session a day
Second description - 10 reps x 2 sets 3 sessions a day

 

[pattycake65]

I have started outpatient pt and doing my exercises 2x a day,and the cpm machine,but inbetween exercises,my leg goes stiff very fast,then I have such pain. I am also icing it and using a heating pad on my thigh and calf.Can someone please give me some advice? I am also taking pain meds but they are not working. My surgeon just keeps telling me to keep my knee in motion and it is just scar tissue causing pain,as he said my xray is fine. I am having a bone scan today,from a rhematologist to see if I have osteoporosis.

 

[pattycake65]

I printed off the pain med chart but could someone please explain what it means. Not quite sure of the comparison to morphine.All I know is I am taking 10 mg. of oxycodone and it is not cutting it. Thanks.

 

[Pumpkin]

@pattycake65 ,
This is your recovery thread, bookmark it so you can find it easily. Makes it easier for those of us who have to read your whole story to answer your questions. It can be challenging to have to skip around and have to locate several different threads to understand your story and better answer your questions.
It will also create a diary of your experiences for you and others to learn from.
Thanks,

 

[Pumpkin]

Here is a link to your recovery thread,
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/pt-questions.31571/
Call your Doctor about managing your pain better, they can make adjustments.

 

[Lovestoread]

Yes, if your pain meds aren't working, you need to call the doctor right away....especially since it's the weekend coming up and he/she may not be available.


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart®

 

[momweb]

@pattycake65 I had severe pain behind my leg with my hamstring but also had spasms. They were awful. The doctor prescribed Valium which has now made all the difference in the world. I still get stiff and sore, but with stretching I am getting better. Good luck to you.

 

[Cindy knits]

I'm almost a month out and the only real problem I have is stiffness and pain when I try to get it moving. It's very frustrating but I think it's normal....darn it!

 

[KYata]

Me too. I probably ought to try sitting for shorter periods of time to find the sweet spot between enough rest and less stiffness. Sitting longer doesn't decrease stiffness! I walk it out soon enough but it keeps me from wanting to get up unless I am excited to do something. I did do stretching before getting up a couple months ago, might try some ankle pumps and ROM stretches just for a minute or two to warm up? Guess I ought to go back to doing them!

 

[kneeper]

I saw your question about the pain med chart @pattycake65 . Don't forget that in the recovery section we want one thread only for all your recovery questions. Otherwise we'd have to "chase" you around the forum. ;)

Anyway, basically the chart with the wavy lines is indicating that it takes a while for pain meds to kick in, so don't wait until the pain gets bad to take your next dose. Take on the schedule. If you wait, the pain has a chance to take hold and is harder to get rid of. Is that the chart you were asking about?

If the pain meds you're getting aren't doing the trick and you're taking them on schedule and you're icing and elevating, I'd say ask your doctor. maybe there is a different med that would work better for you.

 

[Angel1978]

I agree. It' took me while to get proper pain Meds that worked for me.

As far as stiffness I am a bit over 4 months and I still have it.

It's your recovery. Don't let anyone hurt you. As it was stated. U pay there salary.. Don't let them bully you.. Cause I've had to fire some from hurting me. They have weekly goal lol.

Anyways I want to wish you good luck. You will get all kinds weird aches and pains. It's from parts of leg and knee that did not work before. Correct me if I'm wrong. But there mending back together. Xxx




FaithMitchmommy
PKR December.1,2014
TKREV MARCH.2,2015

 

[brianm]

I am in such terrible pain on the left side of my knee(lft.knee). I feel a sharp pain and have a lot of swelling. Also,not sleeping at night,as I can't get comfortable.

I feel your pain. I encourage you to answer the 7 questions Josephine asked yesterday. It would provide a summary that would help all of us better understand where you are and what you've tried. I'm in week 6 and I'm finally realizing that I'm in charge of my recovery. I regard the surgeon, physical trainers and folks on this forum as advisers offering valuable opinions, but I must chart my own course. I've come to regard recovery as a big experiment, and it's interesting.
Back to you. You say you ice, but haven't told us much about how, when, or how long. I found others' stories of how they ice helpful. When you ice, does it have any effect on the pain? I share your nocturnal discomfort. I've developed the habit (based on forum advice) of wrapping a gel pack from the fridge around my knee (in a pillowcase and secured with ACE bandages with VELCRO on the ends) when I go to bed, and at the same time I pop a pain pill (Norco). Soon the Norco reduces the pain somewhat (or maybe the pain from the cold ice masks it - har, har!) With luck I fall asleep for a while. The gel pack warms up in about 45 minutes, and some time after that the pain wakes me up again. When I'm uncomfortable enough that dragging myself out of bed is the lesser of 2 evils, I stumble to the kitchen, retrieve a fresh gel pack from the fridge and repeat the cycle, pain pill and all. Since the 2nd pain pill is hard on the heels of the 1st (say 3 hours), it generally knocks me out pretty well and with the ice, gives me a couple hours of sleep. When I finally roll out of bed in the morning, I've actually had a fair amount of sleep.
Therapy for your extension? I've come to believe that a little stretching very often is more effective than working it hard 3 times a day. Whenever I think of it, I stretch my leg out in front of me and press down with my quad until it starts getting uncomfortable, hold it a few seconds, and let go. I do the same thing standing up; whenever I think of it, push my knee back as far as it will go, for a few seconds. My extension improved dramatically (from about +5 to 0, as I recall) in 3 or 4 days with no pain.
Looking forward to hearing more from you. Good luck.

 

[Celle]

@brianm has given you good advice, above.

Yes, please answer Josephine's questions - they are in Post #21 - and then she will be able to give you more specific advice.

 

[mimi_frog]

I'm so sorry to hear about your PT! I had some complications with my calf my first 2 weeks post op and my first PT session actually regressed my recovery because he pushed me too hard. We talked about it and got to a better place. Now that I'm in outpatient PT, I have a better idea on what I'm comfortable with. I let my knee dictate my recovery. I agree with all the others' advice. I just hit 100 ROM. I'm ok with that. I do my stretches, my heel slides, bending, etc.
My philosophy is that there should be some discomfort with PT but NO pain!!

 

[CATSMUM]

Fully agree with @mimi_frog. Don't let your PT dictate your progress, you control the session and how far things go. If it hurts, stop!

 

[Angel1978]

I'm with her. If it hurts stop. They have Goal they have meet. And they don't see how much it hurts us. They have not been through it. They don't know how we fill. I've fires a few and walked out. One dump the Ayer in lap. Told her stop she kept on. All I can say is oops. But it's hard when there causing us problems. I would go be sore till next session then after. I put a stop to it. Knee progress is like roller Coster. Day to day we don't know what to expect. But we can be in control for a successful recovery.

It's your recovery. It will come. Have u read Josephine thread? It's awesome. Read it. She inspires me and give me hope..

The bend flex will come. Just have be patient. I'm not but I'm learning.

Please be easy... Xxx best luck.


FaithMitchmommy
PKR December.1,2014
TKREV MARCH.2,2015

 

[pattycake65]

Thank you all for the great advice.My last pt session was better,due to the fact that I told her last time was too much for me. She did more massage and started me on a bike.I am in a town where I am pretty much alone,so I have to do things I probably shouldn't be doing.As far as icing,the hospital gave me an ice pump,but carrying it is heavy.I also have to do all the housecleaning,laundry and cooking(if I feel like it)Can't afford to hire someone so it is what it is.I am using a walker but if I walk without it,I limp and that hurts my back.I don't drive yest,so feel very isolated and lonley. Any suggestions? p.s.how do I find post 21?

 

[pattycake65]

I am not great, knowing about the computer and don't quite get the threads and such. I am thankful to be here. On Josephine's questions,where do I post that? I can't sit here very long,as I am on a desktop computer and my leg gets too stiff. Thanks again.

 

[Jamie]

Look down at the bottom of each post and you'll see a number. For instance, this is post number 39 (# 39). You just scroll up in this thread (or click on a previous page if necessary) until you get to the post number that you're looking for.

When you find the post # 21 with Jo's questions, click on the "Quote this message" button at the bottom of the post. It will be just to the right of the # 21. Be sure to use the "Quote this message" button and not the "Quote" button (this one is used when you want to highlight part of a post in your response; you want Jo's whole post). When you click that button and scroll down to the Reply box, You can answer her questions there.

When you have some time, I suggest that you review our instruction forum that will help you navigate BoneSmart. To get there, mouse hover on the Help & Info tab at the top of the page and then select How To Use This Forum from the drop down menu.

We have lots of folks who are basically on their own for recovery. The main thing to remember is that you are supposed to be resting and letting yourself heal....other than the gentle bends and stretches you do need to do several times each day. So, if you feel like you must do household chores - DON'T!!! Unless it is absolutely mandatory, let it go. Cooking should be at a minimum. Have someone go to the store for you and bring home things you can zap in the microwave along with plenty of fresh fruits and veggies. Order food in if you can.

I'm confused as to why you'd be needing to carry your ice machine around a lot. During the day, you should place it beside the chair or wherever you'll be spending a majority of your time. Then if you need to make a quick run to the kitchen or bathroom, just disconnect the hose and come back to it. Freeze water bottles, margarine tubs, or Cool Whip containers for the cooling and don't use regular ice. Just put a little water in the tank and add the bottles. Then move the machine to your sleeping spot at night if you need to. That way you're only moving it a couple of times a day at most.

Don't walk without your walker as long as you're limping. As you've found that is not good for you. If you need to carry things, try tying a plastic or cloth bag to your walker to put things in. Put food in containers with a lid instead of a plate so you can transport it more easily. Sometimes you have to get a bit creative in these early weeks to get by, but just remember that all this is temporary.

 

[kneeper]

Jamie is right. The dust bunnies can amuse themselves for a while.